SUPERBAD

The teenage years are always a difficult time for everyone involved. It’s emotional – it’s turbulent – it’s hormonal – it’s adventurous – and it’s kind of funny too. And do you know what else is all of these things as well? This film – this one Directed by Greg Mottola; and Starring: Jonah Hill, Michael Cera, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Bill Hader, Seth Rogen, and Emma Stone. It was made in 2007, and lasts for 118 minutes.

Love is in the air at high school. As nervous Evan (Michael Cera) is just smitten for pretty Becca (Martha MacIsaac) – nerdish Fogell (Christopher Mintz-Plasse) is lustful for sexy Nicola (Aviva Farber) – and loudmouth Seth (Jonah Hill) is besotted with cool Jules (Emma Stone).

So what do the guys do about it? At first – nothing – just talk. But then, when Jules overhears a conversation that Evan and Seth are having with Fogell – one pertaining to Fogell obtaining a fake ID – she asks Seth if he can get some drink for a party that she is throwing that night, a party that he and everyone else is invited to.

Therefore, what does Seth, Even, and Fogell do next? Correct – get some drink at a convenience store.

However, there is some trepidation about this endeavour, as Fogell’s fake ID is made out in the name of ‘McLovin’, and the age stipulated is 25!

SETH AND EVANS’S JOURNEY:
Once Fogell steps inside the convenience store, both Seth and Evan are immediately nervous’. They just pace the pavement outside and distract themselves with idol chitter-chatter – until suddenly – the police show up.

Shit!

Panic stricken, they both quickly glimpse inside the store to see Fogell questioned by the police – before they then try to escape the scene – only for Seth to be knocked down by a car.

Oops!

But thankfully, Seth is fine from this mishap, and the driver is willing to compensate Seth for this accident too. Still, what the driver has on offer is not good enough for Seth - so, they compromise, and he takes Seth and Evan to a friend’s party instead – so that Seth can get the drink for Jules party by other means.

Unfortunately, though, this party is more adult orientated than what Seth and Even is used to – so they dance – sing – and dupe there way out of this lo-cal as best they can – taking some drink with them in the process.

But alas, whilst they make there way out of the vicinity, Seth gets bumped by a car again – a police car with Fogell in it.

Oops again.

FOGELL’S JOURNEY:
Once Fogell steps inside the convenience store, he is immediately nervous. Still, he manages to load up the drinks needed for Jules’ party, and then makes his way to pay the cashier. But suddenly, as soon as he lays the cash down onto the counter – the convenience store is robbed – thus prompting two police officers, named Slater (Bill Hadler) and Michaels (Seth Rogen), to investigate.

Shit.

Thankfully, they are both more than happy to accept Foggell’s fake ID, and they even go so far as to offer to take him to Jules party during there patrol – with drinks in toe.

Oops!

However, along the way, both Slater and Michael’s are side tracked, and they take Fogell crime fighting – drinking – and practice shooting, instead, in a more than merry way. But alas, whilst they make there way to there next location, their police car bumps into a pedestrian in the middle of the road – Seth.

Ooops Again!

THE PARTY:
As soon as Fogell steps out of the police car, he, Seth, and Evan, run as fast as they can, trying their hardest to get away from Officers Slater and Michaels and towards Jules’ house. Eventually, they all make it to the party with all the drinks intact – instigating a reckoning with the lustful high school graduates.

And what happens next? Hmm? To illustrate this in a formulaic fashion, I would have to say that – Evan+Becca=BLUG! – Seth+Jules=THUD! – and Fogell+Nicola=DOINK! Still, it all works out for the best in the end, even for Officers Slater and Michaels too, BOOM!

THE REVIEW:

In my opinion, 'Superbad' is one of the best movies I have seen in a very long time. It’s on a par with other ‘high school movies’ of this ilk, such as 'Animal House', 'Porkeys', and 'Rock n Roll High School'

But why do I declare such a statement? Well, quite a few reasons actually. It is funny – it is full of character – it tells an expansive coming of age tale that works – and because I bloody well say so, OK?

For a start, the comedy is that of the unconventional variety. Primarily, it is farcical, crude, awkward, and relies heavily on the actor’s delivery. Nevertheless, the punch lines are firm, the construction is well laid out, and the overall comedy stylings’ of all involved is top notch. Jonah, Michael, Christopher, Bill, and Seth, they just don’t step a foot wrong through out this movie.

Well, I am sure that on some level, most people know of someone like Jonah’s, Michael’s, and Christopher’s characters, and I am sure would just love to be arrested by Bill and Seth’s characters as well (if they had to be). The girls are great also, with Martha, Aviva, and Emma, all giving their respective roles a different flavour and tone, so that they are not just your usual garden variety ‘high school girls’.

In many ways, this film is also structured in a novelised fashion. And the reasons why I say this is because: (1) There are a handful of flashback / imaginary scene’s – primarily at the beginning of the film – which have nothing to do with the pretext, but all to do with the characters and the state of mind which they are in at the time. (2) Each scene is shot as if it was a sketch on its’ own – having an almost intimate feel to each segment. (3) The though-line starts off as a singular tale, but a quarter way though, it diverges into two story-lines – Jonah and Michael in one strand, and Christopher, Bill, and Seth in the other. Then, a quarter way from the end, then two strands converge together once more, thus allowing for the tale to reach a satisfactory ending. And (4) The whole movie is nicely book-ended by the true heart of the film – an evolution of childhood – and tells this in a nice and non overt way.

Overall, ‘Superbad’ is a 'Supergood' film – and it’s only slight drawback would be that Jonah does look his age once or twice though out this movie. But apart from that - this is one great flick.

Oh, on a side note, this film was written by Seth Rogen and his pal Evan when they where young lads, chronicling some of there true adolescent exploits – and I am glad they did too – a classic.